***This post is dedicated to the memory of Amber Wardwell. Too bad, so sad, have a Big Mac***
I'm gonna start this series of posts like this. Before you read ANY of these...
Fuck Scott Keith.
Fuck Eric S.
Fuck 1wrestling.com.
Fuck 411wrestling.com.
Fuck all internet based opinions that is poisoned with negative BIAS and all the hype-but-no substance columns that you've read in the past. This is the OPINION of one man who wants to see the good out of a form of entertainment he loves.
Over the next few weeks, I'm gonna make it my will to thwart all that has killed the "love" of why we all post, read and respond here.
Pro-Wrestling.
I Love Pro-Wrestling. I love the form of ENTERTAINMENT that was introduced to me by my father when I was three years old when I saw Andre the Giant at Exhibition Place. While there are many, MANY reasons why I can claim to watch and indulge in this, I decided that it would make sense to just list a nice round number. I have chosen 30 moments, people, events and theories to why I claim the love that I do, by columns, jokes, poetry and other conventional forms of literature.
I'm just a fan, like you. Let me tell you why...
#27 - Great Announcers.
"...A great and fully engaging wrestling match on televison is only as great as the commentary it gets..."
Okay, so that's a quote I made up, but I'm sure someone, somewhere, sometime has said something along the lines of the above statement. Let's face facts: A staple of Pro-Wrestling IS the commentary/announce team. It is just awkward without it.
I remember back in the days during the tenure of Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who, in my humble opinion is the cornerstone for every announce team after. I put it like this - No Monsoon/Ventura, no J.R./King. They were THAT important and impressive. Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura perfected the "good guy play-by-play vs. the bad guy color commentator" back in the Rock n' Wrestling Era, but it was obvious that there was a definite mutual respect for each other, and more importantly, for their positions. As well as touting some memorable exchanges. Ventura always proclaiming the fact that Rick Rude was the winner of the "Jesse the Body" Award everytime he came out was beyond golden.
Ventura went so far as to point out certain wrestlers when they "invaded" his Hollywood status. Hulk Hogan getting the starring role in "No Holds Barred" enraged Ventura so much (Predator just came out less than a year previous) that he ranted for a good five minutes during WrestleMania V. And it was in fact, the seed towards bringing Zeus (HA!) into the WWF. And, c'mon, who didn't mark out in August of 1999 when "The Body" donned the commentators chair for the edition of Raw before SummerSlam '99 where he would referee the Triple Threat Main Event between Steve Austin, Mick Foley and Triple H.
"AND HERE IS THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WOOORLD..."
Gorilla Monsoon had another great color man by his side - Bobby Heenan. Bobby took the simplicities of Ventura's "heel" antics and turned it up a notch, going so far to have some of the most heated confrontations with Monsoon on television - Of course, culminating in Monsoon "firing" The Brain on Raw.
"You can't fire me! I'm Bobby Heenan!"
I remember during WrestleMania IX (ugh) when Randy Savage took the commentator's role and Heenan got so under his skin that Savage stood up and looked like he was going to REALLY kick his ass. (yes, it was a show, but Heenan was just able to make things that believeable.) Don't forget that WM IX was Jim Ross' first 'Mania.
Vince McMahon himself, for me, has created some memorable moments of his own. When he took the role of lead commentator with Jerry "The King" Lawler. Vince had this thing of going TOTALLY overboard with "1...2...THREE HE GOT HIM...wait...it was just TWO!" Classic shit. Jerry Lawler also broght his "A" game with him during that time, as well. Lawler was the heel color man in every sense of the word, hoping that the bad guy would end the good guy's career. This started the Vince McMahon, "Ugh, you DISGUST me!" during every weekly edition of WWF Superstars.
The Jim Ross/Jerry Lawler combo that took over a month after WrestleMania XIII may be the most recognizable ever, with Ross staying on point with the in ring action, selling (mostly overselling) everything that went on, throwing in the occassional "OH MY GOD!" as Lawler not only threw out snide comments towards his partner and the face wrestlers, but kept up with the Attitude Era by creating a simple but effective catchphrase that has lasted for seven years...
"PUPPIES!"
The first time he cried that out, I almost spit out my beer.
And Hell in a Cell between Mankind and The Undertaker...Do you think it would be so memorable without J.R. yelling "OH MY GOD! WILL SOMEBODY STOP THE DAMN MATCH!?"
Tony Schivonie is another name I HAVE to mention. People have ragged on him for the longest time, giving him the moniker of "worse...commentator...EVER!" but, c'mon - Schivonie was so bad it was GREAT! Every week was "The Greatest Nitro EVER!" I especially loved it when Nitro ended so abruptly sometimes that Schivonie took it upon himself to throw in the last minute, almost Batman-esque "Oh my Lord, who is going to stop the NWO? Tune in next week---"
And he would get cut off.
Joey Styles was a one man wrecking crew during the days of ECW. The man was THE VOICE of not only the promotion but of a whole new wave of wrestling fan that wanted to get away from the bland ways of the WWF or the insane antics of WCW. Styles brought a freshness, selling every ECW competitor like they were actually championship callibre - Even if the fans KNEW they weren't.
And I don't care what anyone says about him...WrestleMania X-7 is one of the greatest 'Manias ever BECAUSE of Paul Heyman's commentary. He brought an intensity and slight insanity that was needed to contrast Jim Ross' company man image. It was obvious that during Jerry Lawler's last days before he left the "E", he was totally swaying away from the in ring action. Heyman brought that back for a short while. And I hope he comes back to do it for a while again.
Right now, I'm giving my props to Micheal Cole and Tazz, who are busting their asses, earning their pay and loving every minute of doing commetary for SmackDown! Cole, who even myself thought didn't have a hope in hell has evolved into a very competent play-by-play, throwing in some J.R.-ism's on the odd occassion, but always keeping focus on the in ring activity. Tazz right now is running circles around Lawler in the color department, actually EXPLAINING wrestling maneuvers and the effects, as well as throwing out some humorous bits with Cole. Without them, the Al Wilson/Dawn Marie saga would have been like pulling out teeth without novocane, but their "Look at Al! Look at Dawn! Look at Dawn! Look at Al!" antics made it great comedy. They are definately the future and I'm all ready for them to take over Raw when Ross and The King step down (if they ever do).
Commentary has been used as a vital role in the storytelling department of Pro-Wrestling, whether it has been through subtle exchanges during a match, throwing out the "Tale of the Tape", trying to use the false 3-count or just simply yelling "OH MY GOD! HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!" - There is no doubt that without the two man - sometimes three man voice during a bout and all the storyline developments that our enjoyment would dwindle. I mean, how else can we relate to the motivations of the wrestlers themselves without them?
"...And yes, Gorilla, I have to say...The pleasure was all yours!"
-Jesse Ventura
S*K
I'm gonna start this series of posts like this. Before you read ANY of these...
Fuck Scott Keith.
Fuck Eric S.
Fuck 1wrestling.com.
Fuck 411wrestling.com.
Fuck all internet based opinions that is poisoned with negative BIAS and all the hype-but-no substance columns that you've read in the past. This is the OPINION of one man who wants to see the good out of a form of entertainment he loves.
Over the next few weeks, I'm gonna make it my will to thwart all that has killed the "love" of why we all post, read and respond here.
Pro-Wrestling.
I Love Pro-Wrestling. I love the form of ENTERTAINMENT that was introduced to me by my father when I was three years old when I saw Andre the Giant at Exhibition Place. While there are many, MANY reasons why I can claim to watch and indulge in this, I decided that it would make sense to just list a nice round number. I have chosen 30 moments, people, events and theories to why I claim the love that I do, by columns, jokes, poetry and other conventional forms of literature.
I'm just a fan, like you. Let me tell you why...
#27 - Great Announcers.
"...A great and fully engaging wrestling match on televison is only as great as the commentary it gets..."
Okay, so that's a quote I made up, but I'm sure someone, somewhere, sometime has said something along the lines of the above statement. Let's face facts: A staple of Pro-Wrestling IS the commentary/announce team. It is just awkward without it.
I remember back in the days during the tenure of Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who, in my humble opinion is the cornerstone for every announce team after. I put it like this - No Monsoon/Ventura, no J.R./King. They were THAT important and impressive. Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura perfected the "good guy play-by-play vs. the bad guy color commentator" back in the Rock n' Wrestling Era, but it was obvious that there was a definite mutual respect for each other, and more importantly, for their positions. As well as touting some memorable exchanges. Ventura always proclaiming the fact that Rick Rude was the winner of the "Jesse the Body" Award everytime he came out was beyond golden.
Ventura went so far as to point out certain wrestlers when they "invaded" his Hollywood status. Hulk Hogan getting the starring role in "No Holds Barred" enraged Ventura so much (Predator just came out less than a year previous) that he ranted for a good five minutes during WrestleMania V. And it was in fact, the seed towards bringing Zeus (HA!) into the WWF. And, c'mon, who didn't mark out in August of 1999 when "The Body" donned the commentators chair for the edition of Raw before SummerSlam '99 where he would referee the Triple Threat Main Event between Steve Austin, Mick Foley and Triple H.
"AND HERE IS THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WOOORLD..."
Gorilla Monsoon had another great color man by his side - Bobby Heenan. Bobby took the simplicities of Ventura's "heel" antics and turned it up a notch, going so far to have some of the most heated confrontations with Monsoon on television - Of course, culminating in Monsoon "firing" The Brain on Raw.
"You can't fire me! I'm Bobby Heenan!"
I remember during WrestleMania IX (ugh) when Randy Savage took the commentator's role and Heenan got so under his skin that Savage stood up and looked like he was going to REALLY kick his ass. (yes, it was a show, but Heenan was just able to make things that believeable.) Don't forget that WM IX was Jim Ross' first 'Mania.
Vince McMahon himself, for me, has created some memorable moments of his own. When he took the role of lead commentator with Jerry "The King" Lawler. Vince had this thing of going TOTALLY overboard with "1...2...THREE HE GOT HIM...wait...it was just TWO!" Classic shit. Jerry Lawler also broght his "A" game with him during that time, as well. Lawler was the heel color man in every sense of the word, hoping that the bad guy would end the good guy's career. This started the Vince McMahon, "Ugh, you DISGUST me!" during every weekly edition of WWF Superstars.
The Jim Ross/Jerry Lawler combo that took over a month after WrestleMania XIII may be the most recognizable ever, with Ross staying on point with the in ring action, selling (mostly overselling) everything that went on, throwing in the occassional "OH MY GOD!" as Lawler not only threw out snide comments towards his partner and the face wrestlers, but kept up with the Attitude Era by creating a simple but effective catchphrase that has lasted for seven years...
"PUPPIES!"
The first time he cried that out, I almost spit out my beer.
And Hell in a Cell between Mankind and The Undertaker...Do you think it would be so memorable without J.R. yelling "OH MY GOD! WILL SOMEBODY STOP THE DAMN MATCH!?"
Tony Schivonie is another name I HAVE to mention. People have ragged on him for the longest time, giving him the moniker of "worse...commentator...EVER!" but, c'mon - Schivonie was so bad it was GREAT! Every week was "The Greatest Nitro EVER!" I especially loved it when Nitro ended so abruptly sometimes that Schivonie took it upon himself to throw in the last minute, almost Batman-esque "Oh my Lord, who is going to stop the NWO? Tune in next week---"
And he would get cut off.
Joey Styles was a one man wrecking crew during the days of ECW. The man was THE VOICE of not only the promotion but of a whole new wave of wrestling fan that wanted to get away from the bland ways of the WWF or the insane antics of WCW. Styles brought a freshness, selling every ECW competitor like they were actually championship callibre - Even if the fans KNEW they weren't.
And I don't care what anyone says about him...WrestleMania X-7 is one of the greatest 'Manias ever BECAUSE of Paul Heyman's commentary. He brought an intensity and slight insanity that was needed to contrast Jim Ross' company man image. It was obvious that during Jerry Lawler's last days before he left the "E", he was totally swaying away from the in ring action. Heyman brought that back for a short while. And I hope he comes back to do it for a while again.
Right now, I'm giving my props to Micheal Cole and Tazz, who are busting their asses, earning their pay and loving every minute of doing commetary for SmackDown! Cole, who even myself thought didn't have a hope in hell has evolved into a very competent play-by-play, throwing in some J.R.-ism's on the odd occassion, but always keeping focus on the in ring activity. Tazz right now is running circles around Lawler in the color department, actually EXPLAINING wrestling maneuvers and the effects, as well as throwing out some humorous bits with Cole. Without them, the Al Wilson/Dawn Marie saga would have been like pulling out teeth without novocane, but their "Look at Al! Look at Dawn! Look at Dawn! Look at Al!" antics made it great comedy. They are definately the future and I'm all ready for them to take over Raw when Ross and The King step down (if they ever do).
Commentary has been used as a vital role in the storytelling department of Pro-Wrestling, whether it has been through subtle exchanges during a match, throwing out the "Tale of the Tape", trying to use the false 3-count or just simply yelling "OH MY GOD! HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!" - There is no doubt that without the two man - sometimes three man voice during a bout and all the storyline developments that our enjoyment would dwindle. I mean, how else can we relate to the motivations of the wrestlers themselves without them?
"...And yes, Gorilla, I have to say...The pleasure was all yours!"
-Jesse Ventura
S*K
Yeah, I called you a C.U.N.T. and I will continue to call you a C.U.N.T. - Cuz I enjot being a C.U.N.T. myself.